Nepali Times

Voters' voice

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Headline | From Issue #604 (May 11-17, 2012)

The results of this year's Himalmedia Public Opinion Survey 2012 reinforce many of the conclusions of previous year's polls: on whether or not the constitution will be written by deadline, what to do if it isn't, who is to blame for the delay. The poll also reinforces an enduring message that has come out over and over again in surveys conducted over the past 12 years: Nepalis are too preoccupied with day-to-day survival and are disillusioned with politicians and fed up with politics. Their primary concerns are more mundane: jobs, inflation, corruption, health, education.

The fact that more than 7 out of 10 Nepalis think ethnicity based federalism is a bad idea is not a surprise because there was a similar result in last year's poll. Nor was the relative popularity of political parties, with the NC being slightly ahead of the Maoists. What was new in this year's survey was the surge of Baburam Bhattarai and the plunge in Pushpa Kamal Dahal's popularity.

If the results of this public opinion survey are internalised by the political parties and their leaders, and translated into their election manifestos it will prove that they are responding to the people. And this has to be done because the people are the voters.

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Comments (Archive)

  • Sulove Dhakal

    looking at the present situation, most of the nepalesesee no other option but to bring our king back. all these years the polititians have done nothing leaving the people with no constitution, but a more unsafe,and a voilent nepal.so its high time we bring his majesty back for a stable and a peaceful nation.

  • Budabaaje

    Fully endorse #1. The so-called 'naya sambhidhan' and 'naya Nepal' have been exposed several times over in the past few years for the hollow promise that it (always) was. It was only a trick for greedy, short-sighted and selfish politicians to get back to power; and for India to destabilize Nepal and gain ultimate control over us. The opportunist politicians and 'civil society' were just pawns in the hands of India. There's no need for this pointless, empty 'new constitution' crap. Revive the 1990 Constitution and bring back the Monarchy!

  • BB 2

    And to NT and Himalmedia, well, why don't you also ask how many people are for new constitution vs. 1990 Constitution? Why don't you also ask whether people prefer constitutional monarchy or (banana) republic? These are the real questions that need to be asked and answered. You don't have the guts to do this, do you? ...of course. You were part of the short-sighted, opportunist 'civil society' gang that helped usher in this nonsense 'new Nepal'. Of course, you're sh*t scared of reviving any memories of the monarchy - no matter how meaningful and important it may be for the present discourse!

  • Questioner

    What percent of the survey participants were Bahun/Chetri? This is a perfect example of yellow journalism.

  • Nepali Times

    #4 Thank you for your query. The 3,210 respondents in 38 districts were selected in a non-randomised sampling process that tried to replicate the diversity of Nepal's caste and ethnicity, gender, age, and population spread. For more on methodology: https://nepalitimes.com/the-terrain-shifts

  • Peter Ericsson

    Very interesting the almost exact correlation between your nationwide scientific poll and the result of the weekly internet poll: Pushpa Kamal Dahal 8.5% Baburam Bhattarai 40.6% Sushil Koirala 3.4% Jhala Nath Khanal 1.4% Ram Baran Yadav 19.7% Others 26.4% Suddenly, it makes me the trust internet polling more than I used to.

  • Keto

    How am I to interpret the first (top) set of results? The first three results: 63.1, 66.0 and 61.3 add up to 190.4 % So which party do the Nepalis actually support?

  • raju chaudhary

    Each media is now publishing such non-authentic bullshit poll data; after all, alike the whole nation, every media is in capture of bahun-chhetris. When the nation needs scientific federation, the media, rather than advocating national issues, is busy on campaigning for the bahun-chhetris. it's horrible, and you guys call it journalism. pathetic...

  • Bipin

    1. Can NT make public the % of people belonging to different ethnicity (including bahun/chettri), their age, residence and occupation in their poll? 2. Can NT make public all the questionnaires related to this topic in their poll? This poll is highly inconsistent with the sentiment I see among the Janjatis and Madhesi section of the population. If we are to believe this result, it would mean their representatives in the CA are either lying or aren't aware of the ground reality. That's a highly insensitive and divisive allegation NT is making. A poll is only as good as the questionnaires. If the question on top is the only one that was asked on ethnic based federalism, then clearly NT should be awarded for journalist irresponsibility.

  • santosh

    I dont think there was an equal distribution of people in your poll. n let me share my opinion, when we grew, we were taught to believe that Nepal is a garden of char jaat and chhatis barna. I used to feel proud about that, but every time when i tried fitting myself into one of that category, i would not know where i belonged to. I used to consider myself sudras, but now i realize that in fact, i dont belong to that group either. We are the original n the oldest inhabitants of the country, and despite that we are called the janjatis(indigenous). so that statement(char jaat chhatis barna) doesn't come for the common Nepalis. Therefore i think it is justifiable for the people to demand the ethnic based federalism

  • My nepal

    This is the very cruscial time for all nepali peoples as well as for politicians. We all need to be clam down and wait for the constitution be promulagated. "CONSTITUTION' is one of the main documents that currently nepal and nepali people waiting for long time. I think all those name of the state should not obstruct our constution writing process. For the time being, it could be, state 1, 2, so no. After promolucation of constitution ...then state name could be rename as what people thing is write...

  • Fanta

    Do bahun/chetri accept king from janjati caste or did they want king from their own caste ?

  • GG

    What's in it for Tamus and Magars demanding for federalism along ethnic line who dwells in supposedly Limbuwan and Kirat provinces in the East? One of Magar leader from Solu was clueless when asked (BBC Sajha sawal) and mumbled away that he would be "proud", what an utter nonsense. We've coexisted since time immemorial and the best would be to find ways to do the same again in better ways and BE PROUD as a Nepali.......